Estudio Borrachia has constructed a wooden weekend home for a young family in the countryside just outside of Buenos Aires. Built on a grassy plot among trees and foliage, Casa de Madera breathes nature – indoor space is extended into outdoor terraces and wild plants will grow from its roof.
Selecting the material because of its easy indigenous availability and ease of transportation and construction, the architects used the building as a test – to create a well-designed, pre-fabricated and low-cost home that could be realised quickly. The result is a generous two-bedroom build with plenty of living space, completed in under five months without altering the surrounding eco-system.
Take an interactive tour of Casa de Madera
The design was defined by the properties of the main material – wood – which was used for the structure, cladding, division and deck. Consequently, a single-storey modular plan of connecting rooms and covered terraces was born, combining spatial efficiency with outdoor living.
Nature is part of the design itself. Cross ventilation and shady areas surrounding the house make for passive temperature regulation and with time wild fauna will grow from a bed of soil submerged within the corregations of the roof.
Casa de Madera is part of an architectural series by the Buenos Aires-based practice, titled ‘Housing Habitat’, which explores the relationship between homes and their environments. As well as commissions, the studio, led by Oscar and Alejandro Borrachia, is involved with academic research around the study of society, often collaborating with local organisations to advance their work.
Outdoor terraces are built into the design, offering the potential for further rooms to be built as the family grows
The interiors offer unparalleled access to the surrounding landscape
The design was defined by the properties of the main material – wood – which was used for the structure, cladding, division and deck
A living roof will eventually cover the home with wild flora
The architects used the building as a test – to create a well-designed, pre-fabricated, low cost home that could be realised quickly
Interiors are simple and windows offer views out onto the surrounding greenery
Casa de Madera is part of an architectural series by the Buenos Aires-based practice, titled ‘Housing Habitat’, which explores the relationship between homes and their environments
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Estudio Borrachia website
Photography: Fernando Schapochnik
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